13 Mar 2014

The Minister for Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Dikgakgamatso Seretse has presented budgets estimates for the financial year 2014/15 for the Administration of Justice and Attorney General Chambers.

Presenting the budgets on Wednesday, March 12, Mr Seretse said a total of P185 850 950 had been allocated for the recurrent budget of the Administration of Justice. He said a total of P108 541 450 had been allocated to personal emoluments and this was an increase of 5.4 per cent from the last allocation.

Mr Seretse said this was due to an increase of magistrates, their support staff and the upgrading of magistrates’ posts, which was approved in the 2012/13 financial year but could not effect due to financial constraints.

He said for the general expenses and supplies, the department had been allocated P38 717 260, which represented an increase of 36 per cent from previous year.

The increase, he noted, would cater for the general increase in prices for service providers like Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) and that of security companies engaged to provide security for both judges and magistrates.

The minister said the departmental services had been allocated P13 920 220, an increase of 7.1 percent from previous year and this was mainly due to the increase in the replacement of library books.

On special expenditure, the minister said they had been allocated P5 327 770, which was an increase of 36 per cent over last year’s budget  due to the replacement of computers, furniture and equipment.

As for the development budget, he said he requested P81 300 000, which is an increase of 30.3 per cent and the bulk of P55 006 635 will go towards the construction of Kanye Magistrates courts as well as extension to Broadhurst Magistrates court.

He said the remainder will be used for Maun staff housing, security for magistrates, e-filing, final accounts for Lobatse judges’ houses, Gaborone High Court and High Court of Appeal and procurement of vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Mr Seretse presented a recurrent budget of P155 277 130 for the Attorney General Chambers, which represented a seven percent increase.

The total amount of P100 175 680 will go to personal emoluments to cater for inflation and new posts while general expenses and supplies will get P37 211 940.

He said the maintenance and running expenses will get P743 610. Mr Seretse said the for the development budget, he requests P15 000 000 and Legal Aid Botswana is expected to come into operation as an independent entity and will need P13 500 000.

The remainder will go towards a Doing Reform Initiative project. Ends